A gun range owner helping stop a passenger’s mid-flight meltdown knows all about controlling chaos.
In case you missed the news earlier this month, an American Airlines flight got an unexpected disruption from an unruly customer, to the point that he actually had to be duct-taped to his seat to keep control of him. But now we’re learning more about the incident – and, according to Gun Owners of America spokesman Stephen Willeford – who helped step in to keep him from losing control.
- Richard O’Lenick, who is the owner of a gun range called Gun For Hire in Woodland Park, assisted in restraining Arthur “Layne” Lundeen during the flight.
- Lundeen had to be duct taped to his seat after his behavior got way out of hand, forcing O’Lenick, alongside retired cop Juan Mejia, to act.
- O’Lenick explained that Lundeen was combative nearly the entire time, even biting Mejia at one point.
LEARN MORE ABOUT STEPHEN WILLEFORD’S BAREFOOT DEFENDER WEBSITE HERE.
Arthur “Layne” Lundeen lost control of his behavior on the flight, shouting a number of racial and anti-gay slurs at fellow passengers. As a result, several people had to work together to duct tape Lundeen to the seat.
Among them was Richard O’Lenick, who owns a gun range in Woodland Park called Gun For Hire. According to the report, he worked alongside retired police officer and fellow employee Juan Mejia to restrain Lundeen before he could hurt anyone else. The two managed to hold him down while flight attendants duct-taped him.
In a video interview, O’Lenick explained that, despite the restraint, Lundeen fought with them the entire time, even biting Mejia at one point. But he was finally restrained as the flight was diverted to Baltimore, and Lundeen was taken into custody shortly thereafter. He faces charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
But it just goes to show how some people are calm, cool and collected when the situation calls for it – and O’Lenick is no stranger to keeping the peace, since he works with people every day with safety on his gun range.
Willeford joins us now to talk about the incident, and what we can learn from it. We welcome him to the show!
Q&A:
- Are you surprised that someone such as O’Lenick was able to help restrain Lundeen after he lost control on the flight?
- How calm and cool does someone have to be when it comes to owning a gun range? Is patience key when people use the range?
- What does this say about the general nature of private gun owners? Are they more reasonable to deal with than most politicians — namely, Democrats — would have you believe?
- What does this say about the need for more states to allow open carry or concealed carry within their states? Would having people who are licensed to carry firearms make situations safer, especially when it comes to “active shooter” events?
- Where do you see the national discussion surrounding gun rights going as 2026 continues?
- You recently wrote a book called A Town Called Sutherland Springs: Faith and Heroism Through Tragedy, which discusses the 2017 shooting in Sutherland Springs and your role in helping stop the attacker.
- Tell us more about how the book came together and why you believe it is an important read right now.
- Where can people find your book?
- You can purchase the book here on Amazon, in both paperback and Kindle formats.
- Where can we learn more about you and Gun Owners of America?
a. You can learn more at thebarefootdefender.com. You can also learn more about Gun Owners of America at gunowners.org.
ORDER STEPHEN WILLEFORD’S BOOK, A TOWN CALLED SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, HERE.
About Stephen Willeford…
Stephen Willeford represents Gun Owners of America and is known around the country as the “good guy with a gun” for helping stop the gunman responsible for the 2017 shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas. He is available to discuss gun rights issues and the work of Gun Owners of America. He is also the author of A Town Called Sutherland Springs: Faith and Heroism Through Tragedy. Learn more about him at thebarefootdefender.com.
CONTACT: Todd Baumann at 512-966-0983 or Jerry McGlothlin at bookings@specialguests.com.